Welcome

Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the
symbol in each box.

Welcome to Am I Infected

Welcome to the "Am I Infected?" POZ forum.

New members -- those who have posted three or fewer messages -- are permitted to post questions and responses, free of charge (make them count!). Ongoing participation in the "Am I Infected?" forum -- posting more than three questions or responses -- requires a paid subscription.

A seven-day subscription is $9.99, a 30-day subscription is $14.99 and a 90-day subscription is $24.99.

Anyone who needs to post more than three messages in the "Am I Infected?" forum -- including past, present and future POZ Forums members -- will need to subscribe, with secure payments made via PayPal.

There will be no charge to continue reading threads in the "Am I Infected?" forum, nor will there be a charge for participating in any of the Main Forums; Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits; and Off Topic Forums. Similarly, all POZ pages, including our "HIV Transmission and Risks" and "Am I Infected? (A Guide to Testing for HIV)" basics, will remain accessible to all.

NOTE: HIV testing questions will still need to be posted in the "Am I Infected?" forum; attempts to post HIV symptoms or testing questions in any other forums will be considered violations of our rules of membership and subject to time-outs and permanent bans.

To learn how to upgrade your Forums account to participate beyond three posts in the "Am I Infected?" Forum, please click here.

Thank you for your understanding and future support of the best online support service for people living with, affected by and at risk for HIV.

I just talked today with a conselour at the Fenway Health clinic in boston, he told me not to use the oral rapid test as it is not reliable and does not detect HIV as quickly as a blood test, is this true?

Tommorrow will be 12 weeks since the incident, the longest, strangest 12 weeks of my life. All these symptoms all these feelings, I just feel worn out and sad. I tested negative at 40 days, but I just have a gut feeling this isn't going to turn out for me. On the other hand sometimes I feel just like a fool for being worried and tell myself that 40 days was more than enough and I need to move on with my life. I just feel conflicted.

Tommorrow is the 12-13 week since this all started and I'm just starting to wonder why I have been so worried and anxious this entire time. I know Andy and Ann have given up on me, but I still feel this impending feeling of doom, what can I do to bring me to take that test?

Tommorrow is the 12-13 week since this all started and I'm just starting to wonder why I have been so worried and anxious this entire time. I know Andy and Ann have given up on me, but I still feel this impending feeling of doom, what can I do to bring me to take that test?

You walk in there, sit your arse down, answer their questions and have the frigging test done. It's not difficult and you'll get no sympathy from any of us because we have far scarier blood tests performed on a monthly basis and we manage to cope with it.

Yes, you are conclusively hiv negative. Twelve weeks, thirteen weeks, it doesn't really matter. The window period is three months and some countries define three months as being twelve weeks (such as the UK and most of Europe) while other countries define three months as thirteen weeks.

You're good to go - move on with your life. Keep on using those condoms correctly and consistently and you will continue to avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I think you will find the 6 months testing applies mostly to health care workers..normally after a baseline test has been done at the time of exposure, i.e a needle stick injury, a follow-up test could be performed at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months after exposure...other than that a 3 month test is the norm so if you have had a negative test at 3 months then you are free to go and enjoy life...but take heed about what Ann has to say about those condoms.

just met up with the guy I slept with before, he mentioned that he likes to bareback, all of the sudden I am freaking out again, is the 87 day rapid oral test accurate or do I need to go get a full blood scan?

Yes, you are conclusively hiv negative. Twelve weeks, thirteen weeks, it doesn't really matter. The window period is three months and some countries define three months as being twelve weeks (such as the UK and most of Europe) while other countries define three months as thirteen weeks.

You're good to go - move on with your life. Keep on using those condoms correctly and consistently and you will continue to avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

Lagoon-

Reread what Ann has told you. You are negative. Accept the good news graciously and move on with your life.

Always use condoms and water-based lube for anal and/or vaginal sex and do not share IV drug works with anyone and you should be fine. Sucking on a condom will do you no harm, but in the face of overwhelming data, unprotected oral sex poses no real risk either. So it's your choice...

Quick question, I know this sounds crazy but I am unsure of things. Tonight I was with a guy I meet every once in a while, he is married so doesn't typically do much with guys. Anyways we were jerking each other off, and as I went to spit on my hand I tasted a slight amount of pre-cum. Does this warrant testing for HIV at three months...trying to be super safe until I meet the right guy.

Mutual masturbation and an incident such as you have described are NOT a risk for HIV transmission. Your saliva contains inhibitory elements which render the precum (if in fact you really tasted it and IF the guy is HIV negative) a non-risk for transmission.

Sorry Rapid when I posted to this it said I had not posted to in 60 days and should start a new topic....

Hi Guys-

need your advice on this one....

I am a gay man, last night I performed oral sex on another man. In the process I believe I scraped his penis and he withdrew in pain. He grabbed a towel to wrap his penis and found it was slightly bleeding. (Small spots onthe towel). I am now afaraid I have been exposed to his blood and therefore have a high hiv risk.

I talked to him today and he stated he has been tested and is clean, however I know this is only as good as his word. Should I consider PEP it has not even been 24 hours.

The mouth is a mucuous membrane, but it contains saliva - which has enzymes in it that damage and deactivate the virus and impair its ability to infect. Also, all mucous membranes are not completely equal because their functions within the body differ. The colon, for example, is specifically designed for absorption so that makes it a particularly welcoming environment for transmission of this virus.

PS: And trolling around other AAI threads (like I see you doing right now) to get additional fodder for worry won't help your situation, so I'm saying this now before you start coming back here with, "I think my teeth were rotten or my gums might have been bleeding" or whatever other spin you wanna put on it.

If you really think you have a legitimate worry, you'll need to see a doctor...but our current advice is that you are fine and don't need to worry.

Just a point of discussion, are there any cases of oral sex that you would say are risky? I guess my ideas of risk are out of wack, I always thought blood exposure was very risky and that any type of exposure would warrent testing.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.

You're behaving obsessively compulsive about HIV. If you continue to look for more details and what ifs to worry about you are going to find them. Obsessive behavior is addictive. If you can't stop with this HIV stuff then I suggest it's time for you to see a therapist or other professional to discuss what's driving your unwarranted concern with these details.

I am unwilling to get into further responses to each additional what if you bring up. As has been pointed out you are teetering on getting a time out. Get on with your life and if you can't do that then get yourself some professional help.

I've rested and stayed away from the site, however I've also found I've become deeply depressed. Two things have happened since the event.

I received oral sex from a guy, and developed NGU about a week later (perfect for a guy who is worried about STD's and HIV), I've also developed a very bad cold. Cough, sinus congestion, and some headache.

However, I've also gotten in the habit of taking my temperature daily, the highest I have recorded it is 99.1 (which was about three weeks after the first encounter of giving oral sex) Besides this cold, is the lack of the flu like symptoms better evidence that I didn't catch it from this encounter, or am I pulling at straws here.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Why are so many men getting HIV lately? It seems like it has come back strong, could Oral Sex be playing a bigger part in this??? Thats all I partipate in, yet I feel anxious....where do I go for help?

They're getting HIV because they're fucking each other in the bum without condoms. If you're thinking of using this to start one of your "zomg! I'm sure I've got AIDS coz I had oral" things, think again.